


Sofie's Gift

by Red Charade (traciller)



Category: Daredevil (TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Hello Kitty - Freeform, M/M, frank is a sweetheart, some original characters - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-10
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2019-07-29 00:09:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16252610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/traciller/pseuds/Red%20Charade
Summary: Frank Castle walks down the street with a brand new Hello Kitty purse over his shoulder. He’s a bit of a striking sight, considering the charcoal-colored worn hoodie, the dark jeans, and the work boots he’s got on along with it.





	Sofie's Gift

Frank Castle walks down the street with a brand new Hello Kitty purse over his shoulder. He’s a bit of a striking sight, considering the charcoal-colored worn hoodie, the dark jeans, and the work boots he’s got on along with it.

Despite that, it’s Hell’s Kitchen in New York City. The city itself is used to unusual sights, and Hell’s Kitchen itself had become known as an especially weird place as of late. So, a gruff-looking man with his head down, walking with the air of purpose and being on a mission, with a bright pink and white Hello Kitty purse strung over his shoulder being the only colorful thing about him, was not the weirdest thing the city at large, or even Hell’s Kitchen itself, had ever seen.

Not by a long shot.

So, few people turned to look at Frank. Those who did, didn’t waste time with long stares and quickly went back to their business. It’s unlikely they recognized the man, but if they did it’s also unlikely they would care much. He was minding his own business right now, so everybody else was, too.

Frank turned a corner and halfway down this street he found a large brick apartment building. He took a moment to look at the directory, then headed inside like he belonged there.

Up a few flights of stairs, because the elevator was out again, and halfway down the hall he stopped at a door and knocked, waiting quietly for an answer.

The of a barking dog, probably a small one, and a couple yells from small children, and then the voice of an elderly woman calling out for whoever it was to wait a moment and for the kids to go back to their television show.

When the door opened, a grandmotherly woman with a cane and glasses so thick they looked like they’d be heavy against the delicate features of her face stood on the other side. Even with the thickness of her lenses she strained her eyes a bit at Frank, and then smiled when she realized who was at her door.

“Peter! Oh, welcome back, I wasn’t expecting to see you again so soon. The children will be so pleased. Come in, come in!” She stepped aside to let him.

He smiled as he stepped into the small apartment. “Thanks, but you really shouldn’t open your door before you know who it is, Mrs. Abergel.”

“Your knock didn’t sound dangerous. I knew it was someone friendly. Are you hungry? My casserole’s almost done and then we were going to sit down to eat.” Mrs. Abergel said, changing the subject immediately. 

At this stage in her life she was a devoted grandmother and loved taking care of people, even if they were grown men, and she’d had a fondness for Frank, a special place in her heart for him, ever since he saved her little granddaughter from a collapsing building that she’d been in because of a school trip. As far as she knew, Pete Castiglione was just a good man who happened to be at the right place at the right time to save a little girl. 

Since then, he’d also come by a few times and fixed some things around the apartment, which the super hadn’t gotten to. The least she could do was make sure he was eating well whenever she saw him.

“No, thank you, Mrs. Abergel. I just came by to drop something off for Sofia,” Frank replied, his tone gentle and kind, nothing at all like what the bad guys he went after were used to, nor even probably anyone who’d been present for his trial.

“Oh, you’re such a sweetheart. You didn’t have to do that. She’s watching something on the TV with her brother. Sofie! Please come in here and greet Mr. Castiglione.”

All she had to hear was that name and she came running into the room to hug his leg. “Pete!!”

“Hey, now, calm down. I was just here last week, you’d think I been gone a year.” He reached down to ruffle her hair a little, and she giggled as she finally let go of his leg and looked up at him.

He crouched down in front of her so that he could be on her level. “How’ve you and your brother been doin, huh?”

“Okay, but Josh won’t let me play baseball with him and his friends on Saturday,” She said and frowned just as the sound of another voice from the other room sounded.

“That’s ‘cause she’s a girl! Girls don’t play baseball!” Joshua was at the age where he thought everything had to be a rivalry if he wanted to gain some independence, and Sofia was at the stage where she wanted to branch out into new things but still wanted to spend time with her big brother.

“Nuh uh, Josh, it’s ‘cause your a butt!” Sofia turned and yelled back.

“Listen to the two of you. You should be nice to each other, you’re siblings. And we have a guest.” Mrs. Abergel chided gently. “Besides, I think Betty Trezza would have something to say about that, if she were still around today.”

“Huh?? Who’s that??” Josh apparently didn’t think it was necessary to come into the room when he was speaking to someone today.

“I’ll explain it to you both later. For now, we have a guest, and I think that you should mind your manners and come say hello to Mr. Castiglione,” Mrs. Abergel said, not unkindly.

A moment later Josh came in and walked over to Frank, as well. “Hello, Mr. Castiglione.”

Not the most enthusiastic welcome he’d received, but Frank figured maybe Josh felt a little put out at being scolded in front of company, however gently.

“Hey, buddy. I hear you got a baseball game goin on Saturday?” Frank remembered playing when he was younger. He’d been a baseball fan since he was a kid about Josh’s age, maybe younger even.

“Yeah! Eddie and me and the guys are gonna have a street game. I can’t wait, it’s gonna be great! Except it’s a whole four days away.” Josh sounded rather bummed out about that last bit. Frank could still remember when four days felt like an age and a half.

He still remembered his own kids having similar complaints.

“Aw, don’t worry. It’ll be Saturday before you know it.” Frank ruffled Josh’s hair and got a grin out of him for it.

“Alright, now, Joshua, I think it’s time to set the table. The casserole is ready to come out. Once it cools enough to eat, we’ll have dinner.” Mrs. Abergel wanted to give Josh a task so that he’d be busy in the kitchen so that he wouldn’t be made to watch while Sofia got a present and he didn’t. She didn’t fault the exclusion, because she’d noticed what the gift was and knew what it was about.

Josh didn’t bother to complain about being sent to another room while Frank was there, because he knew exactly what kind of casserole they were having and it was his favorite, so if his setting the table would mean they’d get it faster he was all for it.

“And please set an extra place for Peter,” Mrs. Abergel said just as Josh went into the kitchen.

“Mrs. Abergel, I really shouldn’t stay.” Frank looked up at her, still in his crouched position in front of Sofie.

“Nonsense, Peter. You’re practically skin and bones, you’ve got to eat something.” She didn’t even give him time to argue again, heading off to join her grandson in the kitchen, probably to take out the casserole.

He did notice that she left the kitchen door open, though, and he could see her at the oven. It also meant she could see him and Sofia. She wasn’t as naive as she often came off as. She clearly didn’t think Frank was a danger or she wouldn’t have left the room at all, but she was a tough old lady and she’d not survived this long in a city like this without keeping her guard up just a little. And her grandkids were her life.

“Are you really gonna stay for dinner, Pete?” Sofia asked, a hopeful sparkle in her eyes.

“Well, it sure looks like it. Hey, before we all sit down, though, I got somethin for ya. Your grandma told me how much you missed the purse you lost in the building collapse. I hope this one’s a good enough replacement.” Frank finally held the purse out to her, presenting it for her inspection.

Her eyes immediately lit up and she gasped with such a big smile on her face Frank was glad he’d decided to replace the lost purse.

“It’s just the same as the one I lost!! Thanks, Pete!!” She threw herself into his arms and gave him the tightest hug, pulling back after a minute to hug her new purse.

“Come on, Pete, I wanna show Gramma!” She said, and grabbed him by the hand as he stood up and pulled him along into the kitchen where dinner was being sectioned for serving.

Two hours later, after Frank left, while they were clearing the table, Josh looked over at his grandmother. “I saw a picture of Pete in the paper Eddie’s mom gets. It said his name’s Frank Castle, and it called him The Punisher.”

“So, his name’s not Pete?” Sofia asked, a little bit confused.

“Well, I don’t care what it says in the paper. His name is Pete Castiglione for as long as he wants it to be, and we’ll refer to him as such. Don’t go bothering that nice man about his name. And don’t mind what other people say about him, he’s a good boy. Now, I think it’s time the two of you finished up your homework and got ready for bed. It’s a school night, after all.” Mrs. Abergel replied, reminding them of their usual school night routine and schedule.

“Awww.” Josh and Sofia both pouted a bit, but they went to the living room to grab their bookbags and get out what was left of their homework and start on getting it done.

Elsewhere, Matt put down the case file he was looking over and turned his head in the direction of the sound of the apartment door opening and shutting, and the sound of heavy boots on the floor and a familiar heartbeat.

“You’re home later than I expected today,” Matt said, lightly, as he followed the sound of Frank’s progress into the room.

“I had somethin to do.” Frank said, and Matt could hear the grin in it.

“Wouldn’t have anything to do with the rumors I heard about the Punisher walking around Hell’s Kitchen with a pink Hello Kitty purse, would it?”

“Aw hell, I didn’t think anybody would notice who I was.” Despite the words, the tone told Matt that Frank wasn’t actually worried about it.

“Did Sofia like her gift?” Matt asked, because very few things got by Matt unnoticed.

“How’d you know?” Frank asked.

“There aren’t a lot of reasons for you to go shopping for a Hello Kitty purse, Frank.”

“Hey, it could’a been for me.” That grin was wider and Matt could tell.

“Nah, not your style. You’d plaster Hello Kitty on your Punisher vest instead.”

“Go big or go home, right, baby?” Frank said, and went over to Matt, leaned down with one hand on the back of the sofa so that he could give Matt a proper kiss hello.

“I guess you won’t be hungry for dinner?” Matt asked, licking his lips a little when Frank pulled back to let him know exactly how he figured that one out.

“Sorry, baby, but Mrs. Abergel wouldn’t let me outta there until she fed me. Said I was skin and bones.”

“Uh huh. Well, it just so happens that I’m not that surprised. I don’t think you’ve ever left her place without her feeding you. So, I didn’t bother to save you any dinner here, I hope you don’t mind.” Matt did his best to keep the mischief out of his voice and off his face.

“Aw, honey. I could’a ate more.” Frank said, slightly disappointed and slightly hopeful that Matt was lying. Frank worked out a lot, *a lot*, and between that and his night job, and the kinds of jobs he sometimes did in the day when he wanted or needed to take a regular job, he had quite the appetite and could really put food away. Especially protein.

Not that Matt was complaining. He loved feeding his big, strong tank of a boyfriend.

“Well, that’s good because I lied. I kept your dinner in the oven to keep it warm.” Matt said, and that earned him another, much deeper, kiss from Frank.

“Thanks, sweetheart. You mind if I eat it now?” Frank asked, and Matt didn’t have to see Frank’s puppy dog eyes to know they were there. He could hear it in Frank’s tone.

Gosh, his boyfriend was adorable.

“Of course not. Go on, get your plate, honey.” Matt blushed a little about the pet names, but he loved them. It’s just that Frank was the first partner he’d ever had who used them.

“Great, I’ll be right back.” Despite the fact that there was a table that could be used for eating, Matt was working on the couch and Frank liked to be near Matt when they had actual meals. Even if he came in late and Matt had already eaten, he liked the normalcy and domesticity of being in the same room and near each other while he ate his own meal.

And Matt…well, he’d really gotten used to that and found that he preferred it, too. He couldn't help the way his smile softened when he felt Frank settle in beside him on the couch with a warm plate of food.

**Author's Note:**

> I really have no idea where this came from. I just had a sudden image of Frank in his usual civilian clothes with a colorful Hello Kitty purse slung over his shoulder and had to do something with it!


End file.
